Compactor



Jan. 17, 1956 MALQQN 2,730,935

\ V COMPACTOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 15, 1951 6/996 5. mm 0010 w IN V EN TOR.

Jan. 17, 1956 E. B. MALOON 2,730,935

COMPACTOR Filed Jan. 15, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ll 50 ll IN VEN TOR.

arraeuEi s United States PatentO COMPACTOR Earl B. Maloon, Arcadia, Calif., assignor to Southwest Welding & Manufacturing Co., Alhambra, Cal1f., a corporation of California Application January 15, 1951, Serial No. 206,005

6 Claims. (CI. 94-50) The invention relates to improvements over the device disclosed in my copending application for Compactor, Serial No. 174,003, filed July 15, 1950, now abandoned. In that copending application I have shown a compactor or road roller device comprising a plurality of full floating and oscillating roller units towed from a common tandem hitch. An advantage of this construction is that the roller wheels are each individually weighted so that during oper ation of the device shifting of the load from one roller wheel to another is prevented.

The present invention preserves the advantages resulting from individual loading of each of the roller wheels, and in addition employs a novel form of draft connection so that the individual roller units are towed from pivot points located at the rear of each of the units. Springs are provided at the forward ends of the individual units for limiting the pivotal action of the draft means about the pivot pins at the rear of the roller units. A sectional cross-beam is employed which acts as a tandem hitch for towing the individual wheel units from a common gooseneck.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a compactor for rolling and compacting a road, airport runway, earth fill, dam, or the like having a novel form of draft means for towing individually loaded wheel units from a common tandem hitch.

Another object is to provide a compactor having individual units connected by a draft yoke device, said device including a gooseneck extending forward from the compactor to permit the towing vehicle to turn shorter than a right angle turn.

Another object is to provide a compactor of this type in which the individual roller units are held against excessive individual vertical movement by means of springs engaging the draft yoke device.

Another object is to provide a compactor of this type in which the draft yoke device comprises a plurality of inclined straps connected by means of a common pivot shaft to the rear ends of the individual roller. units and connected at their forward ends to a single cross-beam at the forward end of the roller units.

Other objects and advantages will appear hereinafter.

in the drawings:

Figure l is a plan view showing a four-section compactor embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Figure 3 is a sectional elevation taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

t Figure 4 is a front elevation taken on the lines 4-4 as shown in Figure 2, a portion of the sectional cross-beam eing omitted for clarity of illustration.

Figure 5 is a sectional view through the rear draft pivot taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a plan view of a modified form of my invention showing a compactor employing only three wheel units.

Referring to the drawings, a compactor device generally designated 10 comprises a plurality of individual roller units 11 towed from a common tandem hitch or draft yoke device 12. Each of the roller units is relatively long and narrow and each may be provided with parallel side plates 13 and front and rear plates 14 and 15 respectively. A semi-circular recess 22 is formed by the curved central plate 16. Bottom plates 17 cooperate with the other plates described to define a box frame or container 9 to receive weighting material such as, for example, sand, gravel, iron or steel punchings. A central divider 18 adds stiffness and may serve to divide the container into a forward compartment 19 and a rear compartment 20.

A single supporting wheel assembly 21 is provided on each of the roller units 11, and as shown in the drawings this wheel assembly may be largely enclosed within the central recess 22 defined by the curved plate 16 and the parallel side plates 13. The wheel assembly may include a large diameter heavy-duty pneumatic tire 23 mounted on a wheel 24. The wheel 24 may be fixed on axle 25 supported in bearing blocks 26 and 27 on the frame 9.

Openings 28 may be provided in the bottom plate 17 and closed by cover plates 29. These cover plates may be removed when it is desired to empty the contents of the compartments 19 and 20.

In accordance with my invention, draft means are provided for towing a plurality of roller units 11 from a common towing vehicle. This draft means includes the yoke device 12 and the latter includes a plurality of straps 30 connected at their forward ends to a sectional cross-beam 31 The rear ends of the straps 30 are pivotally connected to the rear ends of the roller units 11. As shown in Figure 5, this pivotal connection includes a hollow tube or pivot shaft 32 which extends through sleeves 33 mounted on each of the roller units 11. Each sleeve is secured to the rear plate 15 of its respective roller unit 11 by means of blocks 34 and clamping bolts 35. The straps 30 extend between adjacent roller units and on the outside of the outer roller units. The rear end of each strap is provided with split clamping blocks 36 and 37 which are held in position by means of clamping bolts 38. Another bolt 39 passes centrally through the pivot tube 32 and blocks 36 and 37 to key the straps 30 to the tube 32 and prevent relative turning movement therebetween. i

The forward ends of the straps 30 are connected by means of bolts 42 to flanges 43 fixed integrally on the ends of the sections of the cross-beam 31. As shownin Figure l, the sectional cross-beam 31 includes a pair of single width flanged spools 44 and a double width flanged spool 45. The central spool 45 has a forwardly extending gooseneck 46 formed integrally thereon. The extreme forward end of the gooseneck includes a swivel fitting 47 and a draft eye 4% pivoted at 49. The draft eye 48 is adapted to be connected by means of a pin (not shown) to a towing vehicle in the conventional manner. The height of the central portion of the gooseneck 46 enables the towing vehicle to make a turn sharper than a right angle turn, as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

Means are provided for limiting relative pivotal movement of the straps 30 with respect to the roller units 11, and as shown in the drawing this means includes opposed coil springs 5h encircling an upright pin 51 and bearing against a central aperture plate 52. The pin is pivoted at 53 to a bracket 54 fixed to the forward end plate 14. A split retainer ring 55 is mounted in a groove on the upright pin 51 near its upper end. The plate 52 is fixed to the sectional cross-beam 31 and is braced by anglepieces 56. From this description it will be understood that downward movement of the cross-beam 31 is opposed by the lower coil spring 50 while upward movement is opposed by the upper coil spring as. Compression of the upper coil springs 50 is illustrated in Figure 4 of the drawings which shows how the roller units 11 may have independent vertical movement when rolling on uneven ground without masts shifting or changing the load'on any one of the tires 21.

Wear plates 57 may be positioned on the upper forward portion of each of the side plates 13 to absorb the rubi s enteel w th t t s Fi r56 I'h ave shown that my invention may. be applied three unit compactor as well as to the four uniucorn pa'ctor described above. The individual roller units as shown in Figure 6 are identical to those descrihedpreviously and the draft yoke device is the same except that the central spool 60 is of equal length with the side spools The gooseneck 61 is fixed on the spool 6.9, It will be understood that a greater number o rlesser nuinber'of roller units 11 may be used as desired." For example, a five unit compactor can readily be assembled by using the draft yoke arrangement shown injFigured and, adding an additional roller unit and spool 4 f4 en theside's er the device, SC that the gooseneck 61 remains in a central position for towing.

Having fully. described my invention, it is to be understood that I do not wish to be limited to the details hereiri setforth, butmy invention is of the full scope of the appended claims.

1., In a compactor for rolling and compacting a road or the like, the combination of: aplurality of separate,

roller units positioned in side-by-side relationship, each of the roller units having walls forming a container to receive weighting material and a single wheel assembly rotatably Supporting each container; draft means for towing' the roller units from a towing vehicle, said draft means including alplurality of tension straps extending from the forward ends to the rearward ends of said roller tinit; ahorizontal shaft traversing all of said roller units andsecured't'o the rear ends of said tension straps, and elongatedbearing s' atthe rear ends of said rollerunits joiirnaled on saidshaft and restraining said roller units agai st tipping; a cross-beam comprising a series of d spoolsconnectedfend-to-end, the forward ends of the. straps being connected to the flanged spools, and a geo eaeek secured upon one of the flanged spools.

2f In a compactor for rollingand compacting a roadway or the like, the combination of: a frame structure including. a forward crossv shaft, a rearward cross shaft,

tension beams extending between said shafts and defining therewith a series of rectangular openings disposed side-by-side, and a draft bar centrally connected the forward shaft; a plurality of roller units fitted abreast in said; openings, each roller unit comprising a tang'ular container for ballast material and a single lly disposed wheel; means extending axially of said sh t pivotally. connectingv said roller units to said rear shaftffojr. movement about a horizontal axis; vertically positioned opposed, coil springs connected to the forward end. of eaeh, roller unit; a mounting plate interposed betw saidsprings and rigidly secured to said forward t, saidcoil springs and mounting plate permitting limited iiidependent pivotal movement of said roller units 39. 111"?a is ofsaid rearshaft.

3. A'coinpactor, comprising: a hitch beam; a central flanged spool secured thereto; other flanged spools disposed incoaxial relation therewith at opposite ends thereof and secured thereto; a plurality of parallel straps having; ends interposed between and connected to the flanges o spools, saidstraps extending rearwardly from said spools; a shaftTparallel with the common axis of said I ,cting. therear extremities of said straps to therewith a plurality ofv rectangular openings; a se es o fiframes having elongated bearings pivotally supng saidffrarnes on saidrear shaft for vertical pivotal movement within said openings; spring means between the forward end of each frame and said spools to stabilize the forward ends of said frames; and a roller journaled in each of said frames.

4. A compactor, comprising: a hitch beam; a central flanged spool secured thereto; other flanged spools disposed in coaxial relation therewith at opposite ends thereof and secured thereto; a plurality of parallel straps having ends interposedbetween and connected to the flanges of said spools, said straps extending rearwardly from the flanges of said spools; a shaft parallel with the common axis of said spools connecting the rear extremities ofsaid straps for yieldably, connecting the forward end of each frame to a corresponding spool.

5. A compactor, comprising: a'series of coaxially disposed flanged spools; a gooseneck draft beam arching forwardly from thecentrally located spool; a series of parallel straps extending rearwardly from said spools, said spools and straps being rigidly secured together with the forward ends of said straps between the flanged ends of said spools to form compositely a rigid, tranverse forward shaft; a rear shaft parallel with said forward shaft connecting the rear extremities of said straps to define therewith a plurality of rectangular openings; a series 'of frames having elongated bearings pivotally supporting said frames on said rear shaft for vertical pivotal movement within said openings; spring means between the forward cnd o'f each frame and said forward shaft to stabilize the forward ends of said frames; and a roller journaled in each of said frames.

A compactor, comprising: a series of coaxially disposed flanged spools; a gooseneck draft beamarching for wardly from the centrally located spool; a series of para].-

, lel straps extending rearwardly from said spools, said spools and straps being rigidly secured together with the forward ends of said straps between the flanged ends of said spools to form compositely a rigid, tranverse forward shaft; a rear shaft parallel with said forward shaft connecting the rear extremities of said straps to define therewith a plurality of rectangular, openings; means disposing the sections of said rear shaft in coaxial relation; a seriesof frames having elongated bearings pivotally supporting said frames on said rear shaft for vertical pivotal movement within said openings; a roller journaled in each of said frames; a rigid bracket extending rearwardly from each spool; and a vertically disposed pair of springs and References Cited in the me of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,721,456 Lee July 16, 1929 2,171,255 Keeler Aug. 29, 1939 2,287,723 Boyd et al. June 23, 1942 2,295,645 Flynn Sept. 15, 1942 2,402,884 Gier June 25, 1946 

